Nazi Germany IGCSE History Past Paper PDF

Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History Your notes What was it Like to Live in Nazi Germany? Contents How Did Young People React to the Nazi Regime? Nazi Policies Towards Women...

Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History Your notes What was it Like to Live in Nazi Germany? Contents How Did Young People React to the Nazi Regime? Nazi Policies Towards Women and the Family Who Benefitted from Nazi Rule? Did the Second World War Change Life in Nazi Germany? Page 1 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources How Did Young People React to the Nazi Regime? Your notes Education and Youth in Nazi Germany - Summary Hitler and the Nazi Party made many changes which affected Germany’s young people. Nazi policies targeted both the establishment of youth groups as well as children’s education. These organisations aimed to indoctrinate young people with radical, Nazi ideas. By 1933, boys and girls in Germany were only allowed to join one of the available Nazi youth groups. For male teenagers, membership in the Hitler Youth was focused on physical and military training. Hitler wanted to create an army for the future to ensure the protection of Nazi Germany. Teenage girls were encouraged to join the League of German Maidens, where they would develop skills such as cooking and needlework. While they were also expected to take part in physical activities, this was more to ensure they would be capable mothers and produce healthy children. Education in schools was also directed towards Nazi beliefs. The Nazis created lessons in eugenics. There was a focus on PE, especially for the boys. Girls would learn about the importance of marrying ‘pure’ German men. The curriculum was tightly controlled and all teachers were expected to join the Nazi Teachers' League. Nazi Beliefs Towards the Young Hitler and the Nazis wanted to create a Third Reich that would last a thousand years Hitler was aware that adults in Nazi Germany had mixed opinions of the Nazi Party Adults were more difficult to influence and change than the young Control of the youth and future generations would ensure that the Nazi Party would always have public support The Nazis had some key beliefs towards the young: Page 2 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Nazi key beliefs about the young The Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens The Nazis made several changes during the 1930s to boost the membership numbers of the Nazi youth groups: Page 3 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes How was membership of Nazi youth groups increased? There were separate youth groups for boys and girls of different ages: Types of Nazi Youth Groups Age Male group Female group 6-10 Pimpfe 10-14 German Young People Young Maidens 14-18 Hitler Youth League of German Maidens The Hitler Youth Baldur von Schirach was the Hitler Youth leader Boys aged 14 could join the Hitler Youth At age 18, boys became members of the Nazi Party and worked or joined the armed forces Training was split into four distinct areas: Page 4 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Training for the Hitler Youth Page 5 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The League of German Maidens The Bund Deutscher Mädel or League of German Maidens (BDM) was the female equivalent of the Your notes Hitler Youth They shared some similarities with the Hitler Youth, but the emphasis was on training girls to be good wives and mothers: How similar were the Hitler Youth and League of German Maidens? Activities focused on the ‘three Ks’ Kinder (Children) Kirche (Church) Küche (Cooking) Page 6 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources In 1938, the Nais created a sub-group of the BDM called the ‘Faith and Beauty Society.’ Its members were girls aged 17-21: Your notes The Nazis were concerned that members of the BDM would forget their teachings when they left the group at the age of 18 The ‘Faith and Beauty Society’ served as a way for women to receive further education until they were old enough to join the National Socialist Women's League Worked Example What was the League of German Maidens (BDM)? 4 marks Answer: It was a young movement like the Hitler Youth (1). It was for girls between the ages of 14 and 18 (1). Girls were taught about the 3 K’s to prepare them for their role as mothers and wives (1). Girls learnt about racial hygiene (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks This question in Paper One requires you to state information you know about the League of German Maidens. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write. Therefore, do not spend any additional time trying to describe or explain each reason. The Impact of Youth Groups Although membership reached nine million by 1939, it did not mean that all members enjoyed being in a Nazi youth group: Page 7 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes How popular were the Nazi youth groups? Education in Nazi Germany Alongside attendance of one of the Nazi youth groups, children were still required to attend school for education Hitler knew that control of children’s education would allow him to create a generation of Nazis loyal to him Bernhard Rust was made Education Minister in 1934 and made several changes to teachers and schools Teachers Those not loyal to the Nazi regime were sacked Rust sacked over 180 teachers in Prussia They swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler and joined the Nazi Teachers’ League Membership of the Nazi Party was also compulsory They attended political education courses outlining key Nazi ideas Around 200,000 teachers had attended courses by 1939 Teachers had responsibilities at school to: Page 8 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Teach students the Nazi salute Begin and end each lesson with ‘Heil Hitler’ Your notes Place posters, Nazi flags and a picture of Hitler in each classroom Curriculum Boys and girls were educated separately The Nazis took control of the curriculum so that they could influence children’s beliefs: Page 9 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes The school curriculum in Nazi Germany After 1935, the Nazis had to approve all textbooks All books contained pictures of Hitler Mein Kampf became a compulsory text Page 10 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Events like the First World War were reworded to blame Jewish people and the November Criminals Napolas were schools for the most ‘gifted’ and racially pure children: Your notes SS members replaced the traditional teachers The emphasis was on sport and physical training Students went on to join the SS or police services By 1939, there were 16 Napolas schools Worked Example Why were young people important to the Nazis? 6 marks Partial answer: Young people were important to the Nazis because Hitler wanted girls to become wives and mothers (1). The Nazis wanted girls to be physically fit to increase their chances of producing healthy children. They also taught them about racial hygiene (1). This made girls important to the Nazis. If the Nazis could win the girls’ support, they would raise healthy children that were indoctrinated with Nazi ideas. This would secure support for the Nazi Party for generations to come (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks In Paper One, ‘explain why’ questions are worth either six or ten marks. For full marks in this question, an examiner is looking for two fully explained reasons as to why young people were important to the Nazis. Use the PEE structure in your answer: P - Make a point about the question E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made E - Explain why this evidence made young people important. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor meant that the Nazis needed their support Page 11 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Nazi Policies Towards Women and the Family Your notes How Did Life For Women Change Under the Nazis? - Summary Before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Nazi policy towards women was focused on ensuring they stayed at home and cared for the family. Women were expected to dress conservatively, keep themselves fit and healthy and marry a strong Aryan man. Part of this policy was directed towards increasing the birth rate, which had fallen significantly by the start of the 1930s. With most sectors of society, the Nazis unified organisations under a figurehead. The leading female Nazi politician, Gertrud Scholtz-Klink, was placed in charge of all policies related to women. The Nazi Party developed laws relating to marriage and employment to varying degrees of success. Women who followed Nazi policy received financial incentives and a boost to their social status. The Nazis also banned many women from pursuing careers, such as doctors and lawyers. It is difficult to determine how effective policy was towards women in Nazi Germany. By 1939, many laws intending to keep women at home had been reversed. The Second World War required women workers to keep pace with the Allies’ industrial production. Nazi Views on Women The Nazis saw women as a fundamental part of the Third Reich: Goebbels said: the mission of the woman is to be beautiful and bring children into the home Nazi Germany had these expectations about women: Page 12 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Nazi views on women and the family The Nazis believed that a woman’s life revolved around the ‘three Ks’: Kinder (children) Kirche (church) Küche (cooking) Nazi Policies Towards Women The Nazis wanted to: Reverse the changes to women’s roles brought in by the Weimar Republic Increase the birth rate Page 13 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The First World War caused a decline in the male population The birth rate had fallen to one million births per year by 1933 Your notes Gertrud Scholtz-Klink was appointed leader of the National Socialist Women's League and oversaw all policies related to women The German Women’s Enterprise (DFW) All women-related organisations had to join the German Women's Enterprise (DFW): Organisations that failed to join were banned The DFW enrolled members on courses about childcare, cooking and sewing 1933 - The Law for the Encouragement of Marriage Women could qualify for loans of 1,000 marks (equivalent to eight months’ wages) if they: Married Quit their jobs or stay unemployed Mothers who gave birth to four children did not have to pay the loan back Each child removed a quarter of the loan 1935 - The Lebensborn Programme Started by SS leader, Heinrich Himmler Paired SS men with single women to create ‘genetically pure’ children The programme only accepted women and men with a clear ‘Aryan’ ancestry The Nazis created special Lebensborn homes for women to rest after giving birth 1938 - Divorce Laws Husbands could legally divorce their wives for: Failing or refusing to have children Having abortions 1938 - The Mother’s Cross Awards presented on Mother’s Day in Germany were available to women who had four or more children Mothers with gold medals received a public salute from the Hitler Youth Page 14 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Families with ten children had to name Hitler as the godfather of the tenth child Your notes The Mother’s Cross awards Women and Employment With the focus on women staying at home and caring for the family, the Nazis introduced laws to reduce the number of women at work: Page 15 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Nazi policies to prevent women from employment How Effective Were Nazi Policies Towards Women? Before the Second World War, the Nazis achieved some success with their policies The number of marriages increased from 500,000 in 1932 to 750,000 by 1934 The birth rate gradually increased from 15 per 1000 in 1933 to 20 per 1000 in 1939 However, the build-up to and during the Second World War impacted Nazi policies towards women By 1937, Germany experienced a national shortage of workers By 1939, women fulfilled factory jobs but women's employment rates did not increase to 1930 levels Over 500,000 women worked in the Wehrmacht as nurses or other non-combat roles Page 16 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Page 17 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Were the Nazi policies towards women successful? Your notes Worked Example How far do you agree that Nazi policies towards women were successful? Explain your answer 10 marks Partial answer: Some historians argue that Nazi policies towards women were successful (1). This is because, before 1939, many women embraced their traditional role as housewives (1). By the end of 1934, 360,000 women had left their jobs and by 1937, over 700,000 couples received loans from the Law for the Encouragement of Marriage (1). This shows that many German women complied with the Nazi policy of leaving the workplace and getting married. This could be considered a success as, in peacetime, the Nazis achieved their aim of restoring the traditional family values of Germany (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks A strong response for this Paper One question needs to examine both sides of the argument. The next paragraph would explain the unsuccessful elements of Nazi policies towards women. You could use the return to work of many women after 1939. Continue to use a clear PEE structure as shown above. You would then need to write a conclusion explaining how effective was Nazi policies towards women. Remember to use phrases like ‘fully’ or ‘partially’ to explain if the Nazis achieved their aims for women. Page 18 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Who Benefitted from Nazi Rule? Your notes How Did Living Standards Change in Nazi Germany? - Summary Unemployment was one of the factors that helped Hitler gain popularity during the impact of the Great Depression. Many people voted for the Nazi Party because they had promised to make Germany great again. Hitler needed more workers for the production of armaments and the improvement of German infrastructure. Hitler also needed to reduce unemployment. By 1939, Hitler and the Nazis had successfully reduced unemployment to low levels. At first glance, it appeared that many Nazi employment policies were successful. However, they also excluded certain groups from employment figures, meaning that unemployment was in reality far higher. This is called invisible unemployment. Hitler also wanted to improve workers’ happiness. The Nazis provided theatre performances and tickets to sports events. Improvements to work facilities were also designed to boost morale and productivity. Wages increased for most throughout the 1930s, but so did working hours. Many workers experienced better living standards under the Nazi regime. For others, the soaring cost of food prices exceeded the amount of money they were earning. Businesses under Nazi Rule Impact of the Nazi Regime on Businesses Benefits for businesses Weaknesses for businesses The Nazis reduced the threat of workers turning to The Nazis increased their control over Communism. The banning of trade unions and strikes made businesses the workforce more productive The Nazis promised small business owners that they would The government did not fulfil their restrict larger department stores promise. Large businesses still dominated the market Rearmament created opportunities for businesses. The During rearmament, fewer businesses Nazis offered large government contracts for war goods, for produced consumer goods example, steel Workers under Nazi Rule Page 19 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The Labour Front (DAF) Hitler disliked trade unions: Your notes He felt they supported left-wing political groups like the Communist Party Trade unions organised worker strikes, which disrupted the economy Hitler banned all trade unions in May 1933 using the powers of the Enabling Act Hitler replaced trade unions with the Labour Front (DAF) It controlled the rights, hours and pay levels of workers Page 20 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Page 21 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes How did the DAF impact workers? The Nazis realised that the removal of trade unions would anger many workers They added separate organisations within the DAF to improve the standard of living. These organisations were: Strength Through Joy Beauty of Labour Strength Through Joy The Nazis established Strength Through Joy (KdF) in 1933 The KdF aimed to make work seem more enjoyable and prevent unrest By 1936, there were 35 million members of the KdF It provided out-of-work leisure activities, trips and holidays to workers Page 22 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Workers from Berlin who took part in KdF activities, 1933-39 The KdF ran a scheme so workers could purchase a new car: Page 23 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The Volkswagen - ‘people’s car’ - was an affordable and fuel-efficient car Workers in the KdF gave five marks per week from their wages so they could eventually receive a Your notes Volkswagen However, car factories switched to producing armaments after 1938 and workers never received their Volkswagens Beauty of Labour The Nazis created Beauty of Labour (SdA) programmein in 1934 The SdA aimed to provide better facilities for workers to improve their working environment It provided facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, showers and canteens By 1938, around 34,000 companies had improved their facilities The Nazis expected the workers to build and decorate the new facilities themselves: For no extra pay Outside of their typical working hours Worked Example What was Strength Through Joy (KdF)? 4 marks Answers Strength Through Joy was created in 1933 (1). It provided out-of-work leisure activities, trips, holidays and even cars to workers (1). By 1936, there were 35 million members of the KdF (1). The Volkswagen scheme failed as no worker received their car (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks For a ‘Describe’ question, you should aim to complete the question in four minutes, one minute per point. This will give you one minute to read through your answer. Impact of the Nazi Regime on Workers Page 24 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Benefits for workers Weaknesses for workers Your notes Strength Through Joy provided out-of-work leisure Workers were still unhappy with their activities, trips and holidays to workers. The Beauty of working conditions. The DAF did not allow Labour aimed to improve working conditions. The Nazis workers to strike or negotiate wages and the hoped that both policies would make workers happier SdA increased workload The Nazis introduced the Volkswagen scheme. The car Despite the promise of the Volkswagen only cost 999 Reichsmark, more affordable than scheme, nobody received their car previously available cars. This aimed to improve living standards for workers Most workers earned more money under the Nazi Wage increases were not as impactful due regime. Skilled workers such as those in the armaments to higher food prices. By 1939, food prices industry earned higher wages had increased by 20%. As a result, unskilled workers were worse off Examiner Tips and Tricks Rather than simply concluding whether ‘workers’ received higher wages under the Nazi regime, consider that many workers received higher rates of pay and could therefore pay increased prices, while other workers were worse off because their wages could not keep up with food prices. This level of analysis is useful if you answer the ten-mark “How far do you agree” where you need to provide a balanced argument. Farmers under Nazi Rule Impact of the Nazi Regime on Farmers Benefits for farmers Weaknesses for farmers The Nazis believed in the ‘Blood and Soil’ mentality. The Nazis increased their control over farmers. Hitler spoke about how true Aryans had farming They told farmers what produce they should ancestry. This meant that the Nazis valued farmers grow. This created anger in farming much higher than urban workers communities The Reich Food Estate helped to regulate the food Farming communities continued to be poor. market. It offered farmers guaranteed customers at fair Many children of farmers moved to towns and Page 25 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources prices cities for better wages Your notes The Reich Entailed Farm Law gave farmers more Banks became reluctant to lend money to protection. It did not allow banks to repossess farmers property if farmers fell into debt The Unemployed under Nazi Rule Around six million Germans were unemployed by 1932 because of the Great Depression When Hitler became Chancellor in January 1933, five million Germans were still unemployed Reducing unemployment was a key focus for the Nazi Party because unemployed workers: Could support other groups such as the KPD Were not contributing to society or the economy By 1939, the Nazi Party reduced unemployment to around half a million people: Decreasing Unemployment in Nazi Germany Year Unemployment 1933 4,800,000 1934 2,700,000 1935 2,100,000 1936 1,500,000 1937 900,000 1938 500,000 1939 300,000 The Nazis created a number of policies to reduce unemployment National Labour Service (RAD) Page 26 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Set up in 1933 Provided paid work for the unemployed: Your notes Workers carried out public jobs such as repairing roads and planting trees From 1935, it was made compulsory for unemployed young men (18-25 years old) to join for six months The pay was poor and many workers complained about the food, having to wear uniforms and working conditions There were 422,000 members in 1935 Autobahns The Nazis wanted to create an approximately 11,000 kilometres autobahn (motorway) system to improve transport around Germany: Hitler personally started the project in September 1933 By 1935, the project had 125,000 workers Around 3,500 kilometres had been completed by 1938 The Nazis financed other public works in Germany: These included roads, bridges and sports facilities such as the Berlin Olympic Stadium Spending on public works more than doubled from 18 billion marks in 1933 to 38 billion marks in 1938 The New Plan Hitler appointed Dr Schacht as Minister of the Economy He was a well-respected banker He had helped to resolve the hyperinflation crisis in 1923 Hitler tasked Schact to: Reduce unemployment Recover Germany’s economy from the effects of the Great Depression In 1934, Schact developed the New Plan. The plan consisted of: Cutting welfare spending Investing in industry Page 27 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Creating trade deals with other countries, for example, Hungary By 1936, the New Plan recovered the economy and reduced unemployment Your notes Rearmament Hitler wanted to increase the size of the military because it would: Restore Germany’s pride Make Germany stronger Provide jobs for the unemployed The terms of the Treaty of Versailles limited the army to 100,000 soldiers Hitler ignored this and announced conscription in 1935 By 1939, there were around 1.4 million men in the German armed forces The Nazis also needed to produce more weapons and armaments to supply their larger army Spending on armaments increased from 3.5 billion marks in 1933 to 26 billion marks by 1939 Employment in aircraft construction increased from 4,000 people in 1933 to 72,000 people by 1935 Invisible Unemployment Invisible unemployment refers to people who do not have full-time jobs but are not counted in official unemployment statistics Nazi Germany did not include many people in their employment figures Schemes to tackle unemployment were too expensive to become long-term policies A focus on rearmament only created jobs if Germany was preparing for war Page 28 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes How did the Nazis ‘hide’ the real level of unemployment? Worked Example Describe Nazi measures to reduce unemployment 4 marks Answer: Page 29 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The Nazis created public work projects like the building of the autobahn (1). All 18 to 25-year-olds had to join the National Labour Service for six months (1). Rearmament meant more people employed in industries like armaments and engineering (1). Women were encouraged to leave Your notes employment and were not counted as unemployed (1). Examiner Tips and Tricks This style of question does not require you to explain your answer. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write in your answer. Page 30 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Did the Second World War Change Life in Nazi Germany? Your notes How Important was the Second World War for the Collapse of Nazi Germany Many Germans approved of the Nazis’ actions at the outbreak of war in September 1939. Even by 1941, support for the Nazi Party remained high. Using blitzkrieg tactics, the German Army was able to defeat the French in six weeks. The Nazis had forced the British Army out of Europe. Many European countries had fallen under Nazi control. Operation Barbarossa was a significant turning point for the success of the war and for public opinion. Poor German tactics and planning led to many Germans losing faith in their government. The defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942 signified that this would not be a quick war as the Germans had hoped for. By this point, all areas of society felt the impact of war. Rationing, shortages of resources, high levels of casualties and aerial bombings angered the German public. Despite a Nazi propaganda campaign in 1943, an increased number of Germans began to oppose the regime. By 1944, Germany faced a war on two fronts that it could not win. By April 1945, Hitler and Goebbels committed suicide and Germany surrendered to the Allied forces. Many historians debate about if Nazi Germany would have collapsed without the Second World War. Some historians state that Germany’s economy was failing by 1939, causing discontent with the German public. They argue that Hitler sped up plans to invade Poland to win back public support. Other historians claim that the Nazi Party had strong support before the war. It was only the impact of total war that weakened the regime and decreased support. Changes to the Economy In 1936, Hitler fired Dr Schacht and placed Hermann Goering as Minister of the Economy Hitler wanted a more radical economic policy Hitler had four main objectives for the economy: To achieve autarky Autarky would mean a blockade would not destroy Germany’s economy or food supply. This happened during the First World War To increase farming output To increase rearmament To implement more government control on industry Page 31 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources The Four Year Plan began in 1936 and lasted until 1939. Goering: Established the Reich Food Estate to guarantee prices for farmers Your notes Increased ersatz goods. The Nazis used: Coal to make rubber Acorns to make coffee The government set production targets for industry The government controlled the production of iron ore, coal mining, steel and armament factories Goering created the Hermann Goering Works which were industrial centres for heavy industry Used enslaved labour from People in concentration camps People from newly-occupied German territories The Four Year Plan faced criticism Many Nazi members did not believe that Goering was the right man for the job He had no experience in economics, unlike Schacht Business leaders did not support the plan Excessive rearmament decreased Germany’s standard of living This is called a ‘guns, not butter’ economic approach Worked Example What was the Four-Year Plan? 4 marks Answer: Goering oversaw the plan (1). It focused industries on rearmament (1). Hitler wanted Germany to achieve autarky (1). The government set production targets for industry (1). Page 32 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Examiner Tips and Tricks Your notes This style of question does not require you to explain your answer. The Cambridge IGCSE gives you a point for each relevant piece of information that you write in your answer. The Nazi War Economy Many historians argue that the Nazi economy was a significant weakness in the Second World War. This is because Germany had not achieved autarky By 1939, Germany still imported one-third of its raw materials The economy was not designed for war Only by 1942 had Albert Speer, the new Minister of Armaments and War Production, switched Germany to a war economy Germany’s economy could not support the war effort Germany had shortages in fuel, coal and food. It did not have enough workers to make enough products Germany relied on plundering from occupied countries to supply their citizens with resources During Operation Barbarossa, Germany did not have enough supplies. This meant that they could not use blitzkrieg tactics properly against the USSR Battles reduced their war supplies The government relied on enslaved labour in ghettos and concentration camps By 1944, one-quarter of Germany's workforce was enslaved Examiner Tips and Tricks Students often find it hard to understand economics. Try to remember that the Nazis focused their whole economy on rearmament. When the war began in 1939, the Nazis had underfunded key industries like food production. As a result, people experienced shortages and the economy collapsed. Albert Speer made improvements to the economy in 1943 but, by this stage of the war, it was too late to make a significant difference. Support During the War Page 33 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes A graph showing levels of popular support for the Nazi party between 1939 and 1945 Stage of the Reason for the increase in support Reason for the decrease in support for the Second for the Nazi Party Nazi Party World War One Germany defeated France Rationing extended to more products quickly Development of black markets in many German citizens had access to towns and cities new goods Generous rations meant that two-fifths of workers ate better than before the war Two Unsuccessful invasion of the USSR. German soldiers withdrew after the Battle of Stalingrad Page 34 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Britain began to bomb Germany causing high casualties and a drop in the standard of living Your notes Three Goebbels produced Germans made to support ‘Total War’ propaganda to increase support campaign for the war effort Women forced to work SS members gained a lot of income from selling goods Britain’s bombing of Germany increased. created in concentration camps Children began to move to the countryside The government stopped entertainment and luxury objects Four Hitler created the Volkssturm (“people’s storm”). It was a Home Guard of conscripted young and elderly men. It failed in battle Allied forces landed in Europe and pushed for Berlin, causing devastation A bombing raid in Dresden in February 1945 caused 150,000 civilian casualties Hitler and Goebbels committed suicide, marking the end of the Nazi regime Worked Example Why did life in Germany change during the war years? 6 marks Partial answer: Life in Germany changed because of the intensive bombing by the Allies (1). In February 1945, the Allies bombed the city of Dresden causing 150,000 civilian casualties (1). This changed people’s lives because it destroyed people’s homes and made some people homeless. The loss of family members in the bombings would have an enormous effect on people’s lives (1). Page 35 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Your notes Examiner Tips and Tricks In Paper One, ‘explain why’ questions are worth either six or ten marks. For full marks in this question, an examiner is looking for two fully explained reasons as to why life changed for people during the Second World War. Use the PEE structure in your answer: P - Make a point about the question E - Use evidence that supports the point that you have made E - Explain why this evidence made life in Germany change. Avoid repeating the point again. Explain how this factor caused significant difficulties for people living in Germany You could also approach this question by focusing on two key groups, for example, women and children. You would need to explain a factor that changed the lives of each group. How Did the Second World War Impact Germans? The German experience of war affected people differently depending on their gender, age and ethnicity Group Impacts of the Second World War Women In 1944, the government forced women to contribute to war work. Life on the Home Front was incredibly difficult. Women died from aerial bombings and suffered poor living conditions from rationing and shortages Jewish Initially, the Nazis placed Jewish people into ghettos where thousands died of starvation or people illness. Einsatzgruppen killed millions more Jewish people. By 1942, the Nazis gained over three million Jewish people from Poland. The Final Solution created extermination camps. At Auschwitz-Birkenau alone, over 1.1 million people were gassed and their bodies burnt. In some areas of Eastern Europe, the Nazis murdered all Jewish people. Other countries collaborated with the Nazis by sending their Jewish communities to the death camps. Roughly six million Jewish people died during the Holocaust Young The Second World War affected young people differently. The indoctrinated Hitler Youth people enthusiastically helped with the war effort. They helped put out fires after British aerial bombings. However, youth opposition groups expanded. Some young people hid ‘enemies of the state’ to protect them from harm. The Nazis forced other young people to help the war effort. The Volkssturm enlisted children as young as 12 in 1945 Page 36 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers  Head to www.savemyexams.com for more awesome resources Polish The Nazis treated Polish people poorly. They confiscated their property and attempted to people ‘Germanise’ them. Many Polish people ended up in concentration camps as prisoners of war Your notes (POWs). The Nazis used them for forced labour and many Poles died from exhaustion or ill- health Page 37 of 37 © 2015-2025 Save My Exams, Ltd. · Revision Notes, Topic Questions, Past Papers